“Armageddon Time” Review

There’s something so sublime about hearing talking about how racists can’t be appeased, punctuated with a “Fuck ’em.” Though Hopkins is not the central character of Armageddon Time, he embodies the joys and sorrows present in this retro coming-of-age drama. He’s the grandpa that everybody wishes they had growing up and, perhaps, maybe the elder for the next generation.

Paul is a preteen living in 1980 New York. His family is Jewish and has high expectations for him, placated ...